Leicester (Pronounced Lester) Square, Trafalgar Square, Canada House, Covent Garden

This was going to be an “interesting” day; I was going to meet another online friend. We’d been talking for a few months, and since I was going to be in London, it was a good excuse to meet for lunch and some chat.

We met for lunch and a nice café, had lunch and we talked about everything, especially about how we were going to change the world. I talk a lot about changing the world, don’t I?

Anyway, Leicester Square, was interesting, it is the hub for the London theater scene. There is a bronze statue of one of the greats of theater; Charlie Chaplin. Around the center of the square there are bronze plaques in the ground with the names of all the commonwealth countries, their capital city and their distance from London; of course I looked for Canada.

We made our way down to Trafalgar Square, four giant bronze lions, a tribute to Lord Admiral Nelson, similar but taller than the tribute we have in Montreal. I think Montreal’s was first. Trafalgar Square is surrounded by Canada House, The National Gallery and Portrait Gallery and St. Martin in the Fields church; the one with the choir.

Canada House was the highlight. Aside from the security check, I was “home” Canada House as well as being part of the Canadian Embassy, is set up so that Canadians in London can keep in touch with home. There are newspapers from Montreal and Toronto, computer terminals with e-mail access, information about Canada, and a small research library with Canadian books.

I was able to show off, after all this was MY country, I knew about the pictures and the places mentioned in the books.

What I found strange was, no one was around from Canada house. There was no one to answer questions or to keep watch on the place. We did meet another family from Canada…Oh, Canada is a BIG place, they were from Alberta.

We made our way to Covent Garden, but I couldn’t find any flowers. Strangest garden I’ve ever seen.

NO!!

I knew it is a market. It wasn’t what I thought it would be, I was expecting something more like a big farmers market and crafts. There were crafts, but mostly it was retail shops and restaurants. There what seemed like a big flea market.

I wanted to see the London Transport museum, but it is presently closed for renovations, oh well.

I walked back to Victoria Station along The Whitehall (check this) I walked till the parliament buildings, from there I took a bus the rest of the way.

The National Gallery and Portrait Gallery are planned for another day.

S.